The blue ocean of mine

Here, I am my man where I work according to my agenda and one day, I shall find my niche. Niche! That's the word which dashed through my mind once I read a summary on 'The Blue Ocean". The one word love to be uttered by some of the higher management team of the institution. Well, they have their point. It's not easy to be or wanted to be the best but at the end of the day, it's the ground people who need to be counted.

Unfortunately, the ground people is me, one of them.

By saying so, I am in need to search for a niche where I can do my research successfully and will be able to claim that I am the best. Well, is that the definition of the niche or it is the correct 'Blue Ocean strategy? I hesitate on that. Or perhaps I may be wrong and should digest the reality of life to understand all about the ocean.

The main blue ocean strategy is to create a new market or new area or uncontested niche where they will be no other contestant. The idea is creating something new but shall be in demand.

How one do that?

If I look back at a conversation with my former supervisor, Hosoi, long time back, I gathered from our discussion that he did not actually create a new area of research. In his idea, if he wanted to be amongst the most remembered scientist, plus the Nobel Prize receiver, he needed to seek an opportunity to do research on something that can last long and in demand - the other words to say, as long as he was the patriarch of the department. That was one of the reason he did the aquaporin project and projecting all the money on AQP5 of salivary gland since he was a professor of a dental school. His initial thought was that the research area would be the in-thing for another 15 years or so. The upshot of his strategy was that before his retirement day arrived, he almost reached the goal of being one of the best in the field. By being mentioned as one of the well-known scientist in AQP5 field in a website had made him proud. His complacency was proven when he did email me about that.

How about me then? What's my blue ocean? I am not very sure about it at this point of time. Many things are hanging in my mind which implied by my involvement in various projects which were quite diverse. Well, I am still at the entry-level status. I am still swimming on the surface of an ocean. We'll see soon if there is any need to recast the research proposal.

Mind the Attitudes

Well, I went to Mecca to perform the umrah. Came back here almost two weeks. I was happy that I did went there but I can't explained the reason behind it. Scorpio never really tell the whole truth when they explained something regarding their inner feeling. But please, it was never a lie, but only they can't reach for the correct sentences (or so I thought).

People always talk about serenity to be near His house but for me, the place had a sense of intimacy, like I belong to it. On top of that, it was very different from what I thought when I saw it in a picture or film.

Anyhow, nevermind about that.

Since coming back, I felt a bit tired and calm. Too calm that I began to panick but nothing happened, just the usual deep thinking Naba on work again.

Besides, the mind had stated to build a new set of attitudes.

Ready?!

From what I gather from reading the Al-Quran (translational of course!), if God wanted to do something, He will, with all His might.

So, if He had decided something good will happen, it will, and vice versa if it is something bad. My point is that I need not worry too much. Let's leave it all to the All Mighty. We just do our job as best we could, pray that it will turn out to be good at the end of the day (as we want it to be) then leave it to Him.

The monster within.....

After months, here I am again, blogging. Life has been good, with more responsibility as human being, daughter, sister, friends and colleague.

An excuse for me to be here is just me missing the blogging world. This blog of mine had become a part of me for the past four years, bested (if this word ever exists) of best friends, and it was hard to let go.

Looking back in a very constructive standpoint of the past six months, I knew that accomplishing the degree was the best thing that ever occurred. Nonetheless, it had unleashed the other part of me who had been under the constraint for the good four years. The heat of the atmosphere of my beloved country had added to the unbearable strain which left the mind paralyzed. The monster finally had successfully taken over my body and flew it to the hell of unknown emotions. But then again, I thank God. The G factor had brought me back to the smelly earth that I love so much.

Yes, it was the G factor all along that brought me back.

A simple me

I am not an angel and not even having a tiny angel-like personality. But I would like to believe that I am not dreadful either. Preferably, I would settle for an average human being, neither good nor bad.

Thus, I do have limit. Please never underestimate my anger or the patience. At the moment, I am trying the best to be the better person.

I wish I have all the courage to say, “I am done with you!” But then again, there is a small voice keeps insisting on the value of a relationship.

I wish that life could be a little simpler.

Bend It Like Me?

There was a single incident that still played strongly in my mind though it happened almost a decade ago, something to do with football, Britain and the Aussie visitors.

During one fine day in a meeting room of Human Genome Centre, I was sweating profusely as the honorable Aussie visitors from Adelaide University was about to reach the department and I would be the one giving the welcoming talk; a short introduction of the department and the school. Nonetheles, being rehearsing the presentation for the xth times, I was ready, or thought so.

Once they made the entrance the atmosphere was very serious and there I was standing and blabbing, remembering every words.

“As for the training, at the moment, we have a student studying in the Manchester United…..”

Silence.

Opss…

“Manchester University.”

Laughter.

The Aussie Professor smiled for the first time, “Everything is about David Beckam nowadays.”

“Yes, Bend It Like Beckam.”

Work but no work blues...

Sometimes, I might sound pompous. Oh! Well, most of the time actually. But since this was happening once more time, it really drive me nut. Oh! Please stand by me, a self-importance little woman who think that she was so bored with her life. The one and only raison d'être was that she thought she was underwork (though always underpaid?) which out of sudden instill a need for her to go all out searching for work to be done.

But then, don’t get me wrong. I am a well paid worker who has been working with this company for the past 8 years.

Prior to a life in Japan as a student, the working life had never been so undemanding. My former boss was a workaholic surgeon with responsibilities more than the average people can handle. Since he was able to do more things, he had a similar anticipation on me, and most of his subordinates. Thus, to stop and smell the roses was a luxury in those days. Then Japan came, which life pattern was nothing new to the whole world. They eat, drink and sleep with one word only throughout the life, WORK! The 8 years training left me with no choice but to think that life is all about filling your day with work, not just simply to attend the work place.

Therefore, this ‘me’ found that the pace of my work was too slow creep a hell out of me. Moreover, the free time (during work hours) gave me enough time to wonder into ideas where one of it was I’ve started counting money of other people bank’s account. Ops! Sorry. That is an in-house joke about a particular housewife who we speculate had spent her free time counting the money of the students with scholarships since she was well aware of other people expenditure. Easily said, I’ve started to wonder other people life which is against my principle. I can feel that I have become so negative that my DNA (which is also negatively charge) was coming out of my body, in view of the fact that two objects with same charge experience a mutual repulsive force. Oh!

So, what do I do?

Well, I need work. I create one.

I asked a dental master student of another lecturer whose project was co-researched with me to come for a little introduction tutorial. Not only that, I had volunteered to teach two laboratory’s technician on the basic of molecular techniques. Besides, I did volunteered to review a few articles intended for a book publication.

I lied. Those were not just one work.

The list is growing by second.

I just wish somebody will come along and stop me before I am overload again. Probably asking me for water skiing in Langkawi will do for the time being.

New guy on the block

Move aside MekDi. Here comes MatB, Mat SalaiB. This Mat B is seing taking his place slowly but confidently around stores in front of KK Campus. And the first one that I bought tonight was the Mat Beef. Suprisingly, the cook added enough black pepper sauce and mayonnaise plus the regular chillie sauce which of course brought out a different taste. An alternative choice besides Ramly's, I guess.